Overweight Scots chef shed 5 stone and 'cured' chronic…

Overweight Scots chef shed 5 stone and 'cured' chronic skin condition after catching Covid

An overweight chef has told how catching coronavirus changed his life after he shed five stone and cured a chronic skin condition.

Since having Covid in March, Steve Gilroy, 47, changed his diet to try to get healthy.

And thanks to a diet change, he has cured his severe skin condition and lost his large belly.

The Scots chef shows off his weight loss. (UGC)

For 28 years, Steve has hidden his body from the world because he was “ashamed” of his psoriasis – scaly, red, raised patches which can be itchy and flakey.

But his new diet had the unexpected benefit of helping to clear his skin and he has now launched a series of cooking videos to help those with a similar condition or who want to lose weight.

Steve, from Burnham, Perthshire, said: “I was almost 20st when I had Covid last March. I was aware people who were overweight were most at risk and I thought, ‘I really need to do something here’.

“I had typical symptoms, a cough and a fever and flu-like symptoms, for about five days. I started getting worse, so I went to the doctor and he told me I had Covid.

“I was given antibiotics but I knew obesity was a contributing factor.

“One day I caught sight of myself in the mirror and thought ‘What are you doing?’ I thought, ‘I am going to end up killing myself at this rate’.

“I used to be really fit. When I was younger, I played a lot of sports – football, tennis, badminton, a bit of rugby, boxing and was part of a running club.But life took over and I put on weight over the years as I stopped being active. I was working 12-14 hours a day as a chef and my diet wasn’t great.”

For the first few months after his illness, Steve got tired quickly.

He said: “I could only walk 100 yards to the shop and back.

“When I started to feel a bit better, I was able to get out more.

“I downloaded an app which counted calories and I started devising my own dishes, weighing everything and using fresh food. My wife, Caroline, did it with me and lost 3st.

“I am delighted with the way I am just now but I would like to lose another stone and then muscle up.”

But his new diet also brought an unexpected boost for his health.

Steve said: “I found with the new diet that every time I ate gluten my psoriasis was worse, so I stopped eating anything with gluten and now I am almost psoriasis free.

“The dermatologist said 85-90 per cent of my body was covered in it. Only my face wasn’t affected.”

Steve added: “I still have a few dots on my knees and elbows but I have no scales, just redness.

“It has given me a new lease of life and more confidence.

To try Steve’s recipes, go to: www.facebook.com/steviesizzles73/